


Bad choice

by althoughtheuniverse



Series: Bad choice [1]
Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Squips (Be More Chill), Bad Boy Michael, F/F, Jeremy Heere is bad at maths, M/M, Rich is a bully, Slushies, so are the others...kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:41:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24866227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/althoughtheuniverse/pseuds/althoughtheuniverse
Summary: „Get out of the way loser!” Rich’s voice could be heard from the other end of the corridor and sure enough every student present started to clear the hallway.The popular kids made their way through, heading towards the cafeteria. Chloe Valentine giggled at something her girlfriend Brooke had said, Rich occasionally shouted at a freshman who failed to move out of their way in time. His boyfriend Jake casually walking one step behind him, listening to something Jenna Rolan was telling him.And then there was Michael Mell.Designated bad boy and while disgustingly handsome, altogether just a massive douche- at least if you asked Jeremy.
Relationships: Brooke Lohst/Chloe Valentine, Christine Canigula & Jeremy Heere, Jake Dillinger/Rich Goranski, Jeremy Heere/Michael Mell
Series: Bad choice [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1821976
Comments: 7
Kudos: 68





	Bad choice

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to another little story of mine!  
> I just couldn't shake the need to write a story with Michael as the bad boy. It's my first time writing something like this and I hope it turned out well.  
> Enjoy!

„Get out of the way loser!” Rich’s voice could be heard from the other end of the corridor and sure enough every student present started to clear the hallway.

The popular kids made their way through, heading towards the cafeteria. Chloe Valentine giggled at something her girlfriend Brooke had said, Rich occasionally shouted at a freshman who failed to move out of their way in time. His boyfriend Jake casually walking one step behind him, listening to something Jenna Rolan was telling him.

And then there was Michael Mell.

Designated bad boy and while disgustingly handsome, altogether just a massive douche- at least if you asked Jeremy.

The red flannel Michael wore today highlighted his toned arms and the rolled-up sleeves showed his Pacman tattoo which stood out against his tanned skin. The black shirt underneath had a tiny triforce at the bottom and the black skinny jeans were artistically ripped in just the right places. To top the outfit off he wore his signature white sneakers and had his headphones wrapped around his neck.

Of course, Jeremy hadn’t been staring, totally not staring. Maybe a casual glance.

“You’re doing it again, Jere,” came the voice of Christine.  
Jeremy shook his head and turned around to the girl who had her binder clutched at her chest and a worried smile on her face.  
“Yeah, I mean did you see them? Who do they think they are?” Jeremy huffed which only caused Christine to wince.  
“Just be careful Jere,” Christine replied, worry written clearly on her face now.  
Jeremy sighed but nodded.

Everybody knew not to interfere with the popular kids. Lay low, let them pass by, carry on.  
There had been incidents where someone tried to stand up against them, resulting in suspensions and detention- not for the popular kids. Somehow, they managed to always seem like the victims in the end.

-

“I just don’t get it. God, I hate maths,” Jeremy had just finished his lunch and now he desperately tried to make sense of the numbers in his maths notes.  
“Just ask Mrs. Finnigan to explain it again, I’m sure she won’t mind,” Christine shrugged and continued eating her sandwich.

It took five more minutes, some not so subtle curses on Jeremy’s side and Christine finishing her lunch until Jeremy decided to call it quits and just give up on maths completely.

“Is it cool with you if I head out? I just need some fresh air before going back to class,” Jeremy shot Christine a hopeful look.  
“Sure, I’ll be in the auditorium anyways, Mr. Reyes wanted to discuss some things about the upcoming play,” Christine stood up and started collecting her things while she spoke.

Jeremy too got all his things, shoving them in his backpack carelessly. The last thing he picked up from the table was his sketchbook which he carried around just in case inspiration hit him in the middle of the school day.

He turned his head to look at Christine.  
“See you at rehearsal then?”  
The girl nodded and smiled. Jeremy smiled back and turned around, ready to leave the crowded cafeteria for the day.

“Watch it, loser!”  
Jeremy froze, his sketchbook tumbling to the floor, slithering underneath the nearest table. His eyes went wide, looking up to the person in front of him.

Michael Mell towered above him, not looking amused at all. In his left hand a slushie cup which was half empty - Jeremy let his gaze wander and noticed the wet spot covering the front of Michael’s shirt and the little pool of red slushie beneath his feet.

“I -“ he choked out, becoming painfully aware of how the cafeteria had gone silent.  
“You what?! You ruined my shirt!” Michael stared down at him in anger.  
“I…I’m sorry,” Jeremy wanted to kick himself for how weak he sounded.

Michael just huffed. He stared at Jeremy for another moment.  
“Whatever…” the taller boy shook his head and started to walk past Jeremy before he turned on his heel, once again looking at Jeremy. His eyes narrowing to slits.  
“I’m letting it go for now, but don’t think this is over. You owe me, Heere.”

With that the boy left the cafeteria, Jeremy looking after him, trying to comprehend what had just happened. It took him a full minute to move again, quickly fetching back his sketchbook from under the other table.

“Are you okay?” Christine extended her arm, careful not to move too fast as not to scare Jeremy.  
Jeremy could only nod.  
“You sure? That was pretty intense…” the girl didn’t look convinced.  
“Yeah I’m…fine. Just fine. Oh god I don’t even- how? I -“ Jeremy stuttered, helplessly gesturing to the door Michael had just left through.  
“Alright Jere, let’s just get out of here, alright?” Christine grabbed his arm and began to drag him out of the cafeteria.

Jeremy desperately tried to ignore the obvious glances from the other students- at least most of them had started talking again.

It didn’t take them long to get out of the building and as soon as they reached the little area with grass and some benches, Christine pulled Jeremy down to sit next to her.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Jeremy’s leg bouncing nervously, his teeth clawing at his bottom lip, eyes focused on something in the distance and overall a giant freaked out mess.

“You’re okay Jeremy, he’s not here, he can’t do anything to you,” Christine began and started to softly stroke up and down Jeremy’s back.  
The boy turned his face until he was looking at her, his eyes still wide and kind of scared.

“Try to calm down Jere, focus on your breathing. Just like that, you’re doing great,” it took about five minutes until Jeremy had calmed down enough to let out a frustrated groan before collapsing on his back, lying in the grass, eyes fixated on the sky above.

Finally, he covered his face with his arms and let out another groan. Christine visibly relaxed when she noticed that his demeanor had changed from “nervous wreck” to “not so nervous anymore but still pretty nervous and absolutely embarrassed by his own thoughts”.

“I embarrassed myself in front of the whole school. Not to mention how I was threatened by Michael Mell himself! Do you know what that means Chris? I’ll never have a quiet day at school like ever again. He’ll make sure to give me hell for bumping into him and spilling his slushie,” Jeremy’s words were slightly muffled by his sleeves, but Christine knew him since kindergarten and was proficient in “understanding Jeremy”.

“I mean, he did seem pretty pissed but that’s no wonder- even I would be kinda mad if someone spilled something over me. But look at the bright side: he knew your name! That’s good, right?” Christine argued.

Jeremy straightened in an instant, returning to the sitting position he had been in earlier, eyes once again opened wide, mouth slightly agape.

“He knew my…Michael Mell knows my name- holy shit! That can’t be good,” Jeremy buried his face in his hands.  
“Why not? You always said how you wished he knew you. I don’t see how…-“  
Jeremy interrupted Christine instantly.  
“Don’t you see? When he knows my name that means I can’t just hide from him and wait till he forgets about this whole thing- he knows me, no more anonymity, I’m probably the number one target now!” he exclaimed.

Christine shrugged and focused her gaze on the daisies in the grass in front of them.

Jeremy sighed. How did he get into this mess in the first place?

-

It wasn’t until two days later, when Richard Goranski approached Jeremy at his locker after their last period.

“Yo, tall ass!”  
Rich grabbed him by the collar of his cardigan and pulled him closer.  
“You assaulted my buddy Michael on Monday. Don’t think we forgot,” the shorter boy nodded to the group of popular kids - though Michael himself was nowhere to be seen - who stood next to the doors.  
“I didn’t mean to…-“ Jeremy started but Rich cut him off, shoving him backwards against his locker.  
“I don’t care about your opinion, nerd. Tonight, 7 pm sharp, parking lot at Milton’s,” Rich pulled off of Jeremy, shooting him one last nasty glance before retreating and joining the rest of his group.

Jeremy let out the breath he had been holding.

Milton’s was a little diner on the outskirts of town, mostly frequented by the popular kids and those tolerated by them. While the diner itself wasn’t downright scary (if you weren’t afraid of the popular kids), their parking lot had grown a reputation to host most of the fights Rich initiated (rumour had it, Rich always helped himself to a meal in the diner and made the other kid pay after beating them up).

“Ready to go Jeremy?” Christine emerged from the auditorium, waving at him and grinning widely.  
Jeremy could only shake his head.  
“What happened?” the girl came to a stop in front of him and shot him a curious look.  
“I think…” Jeremy’s voice was hoarse, and he had to clear his throat before speaking again “Rich just challenged me to a fight at Milton’s. Christine, I think I’m going to die tonight.”

It was silent for a moment until Christine started giggling.  
“You really should’ve joined theatre this year! I always knew you were amazing,” she let out another fit of giggles and playfully shoved Jeremy against his locker.

The boy let out a short whimper, the pain in the back of his head present again.

“Oh my god, you weren’t kidding, were you? Milton’s is bad, did he really say Milton’s? Jeremy, you can’t leave your house tonight, I’m serious- don’t go there! You remember the time Blake Fisher went to Milton’s and got beat up because Rich was ‘in the mood’? Or that one time Holly Summers thought it’d be okay to stop by for a drink and Chloe nearly set her hair on fire because she accidentally sat on her chair?” Christine’s cheeks were red, and she gestured wildly with both hands.

Jeremy nodded. He wasn’t dumb, of course he’d heard the rumours and seen Blake Fisher limping through the halls for a full week.

And with this knowledge came the realisation, that there wasn’t a chance for him to avoid what was about to happen. You didn’t ‘just stay home’ when Richard Goranski summoned you to a fight at Milton’s.

“You’re not going, are you?” Christine was still looking at him, her voice laced with worry.  
“Of course not, Rich has nothing on me, I’ll just stay home, watch TV or something,” he replied with as much confidence as he could muster.

Christine nodded, looking content with his answer - maybe he should really consider drama next year.

“Let’s get going then. My mom promised to make your favourite cake, you know that one with cherries and chocolate!” Christine grinned up at him as they started to walk towards the doors.

Jeremy smiled back. Normally, that would have been great news. Today however, that cake felt like his last meal.

-

It was 6:58 pm when Jeremy pulled up at the parking lot in his dad’s car. It wasn’t dark outside yet, but the sun had begun to set and was slowly descending behind some trees.

Jeremy parked at the far back, hoping to avoid any damage to his father’s beloved vehicle and stepped out of the car. His plan was to just let it happen and be done with the whole thing. A crumpled fifty-dollar bill was situated in the left back pocket of his jeans, just in case he really had to buy Rich dinner afterwards.

One last look at his phone (it was 7:01 pm now), then he pocketed it and sent a short prayer to whoever, that it would outlive the fight. He really couldn’t afford a new one.

It was silent, the lights from the diner illuminated small bits of the parking lot and Jeremy could see some people sitting in the booths, happily eating and drinking, unaware of what was about to happen outside.

Jeremy waited.

Maybe they had forgotten after all. Maybe they had decided that he wasn’t worth it.

He allowed himself to look at his phone again and saw that it was 7:13 already.

Jeremy let out a sigh, slowly turning around and walking back to his car. He was about to open the door when he heard a voice from behind.

“Where are you going?”

Jeremy spun around, once again coming face to face with Michael Mell.

The taller boy was dressed in his usual black ripped jeans and white sneakers but had a nice button up for a top. His hair seemed slightly more styled than at school and he smelled of something Jeremy couldn’t quite place- good, he smelled good.

Jeremy took a deep breath.

“Okay, let’s just do this, alright? I won’t run away, just please don’t wreck the car, it’s my dad’s,” he said in a hurry and closed his eyes, waiting for the first punch.

When nothing happened, he slowly opened his eyes again, looking at Michael.  
The other boy seemed surprised his brows furrowed in confusion.

“Alright, what do you want? I don’t have a lot of money on me - wait!” Jeremy grabbed the fifty- dollar bill in his back pocket, shoving it in Michael’s direction.  
“I took it to buy Rich dinner but now that you are here…look, I am really sorry for what happened Monday, I didn’t mean to…just, if you want to fight or I don’t know punch me, please do it now,” he was rambling but the nervousness that was following him since Rich had cornered him at school was spiking.

Michael shifted his weight from one foot to the other, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck with one hand.

“You…you came here to fight?” he asked.

Jeremy was taken aback.

“I mean, it wasn’t my dream, you know. But knowing Rich that’s what you guys do here, right?”, his voice was calmer now, but he noticed his hands had started trembling.  
“Yeah, I suppose that’s what they all think. But nah, I didn’t come here to fight,” Jeremy thought he could see Michael blush but it was getting darker as they spoke and the dim light from the diner wasn’t enough for him to be sure.

For a moment, the two boys were quiet.

“Well, if you didn’t come here to fight, what am I here for?” Jeremy knew he was testing his luck, but the whole situation was unreal, and he was curious.

Michael chuckled nervously, one hand at his neck again.

“You see, I thought Rich told you, but apparently I shouldn’t trust Rich with such things,” another chuckle.

The taller boy turned his head towards the diner, sighing deeply and shaking his head. Jeremy followed his gaze and saw what he supposed were Chloe and Brooke staring at them from behind the nearest window. Both girls tried to hide themselves the moment they saw the boys looking at them.

Michael turned back to look at Jeremy and smiled. It was a real, genuine smile, not the one Jeremy saw the other wear at school most of the time.

“I know I haven’t been that nice around you, but maybe I could interest you in dinner? Like now? With me?” Michael spoke fast, his eyes averting Jeremy’s gaze.

Jeremy couldn’t think. Time seemed to slow down as he tried to process what was happening. No one was gonna punch him, Michael had not come to fight him and had just asked him to dinner.

Michael Mell had asked him to dinner.

“Like…like a date?” Jeremy managed to get out.  
“Yeah, I mean if you don’t…” Michael began.  
“Yeah okay. I’d like dinner,” Jeremy didn’t know where this sudden burst of confidence came from, but he wasn’t complaining.

Michael seemed stunned for a moment before regaining his composure, displaying some of the cool attitude he normally wore again.

“Sweet, I mean great, cool. How about we get out of here though? I’m not interested in Rich’s bullshit or Chloe’s heart eyes right now,” Michael gestured to Jeremy’s car.

A smile spread across the smaller boy’s face as he nodded.

When they left the parking lot a minute later, he still couldn’t believe how the night had turned out. Michael Mell was sitting next to him in his dad’s car, looking through the various CDs stored in the glove compartment.

“The Frozen soundtrack? Dude, that’s awesome,” Michael announced before inserting the CD and hitting play.

As the first chords of ‘Into the Unknown’ began to play, Jeremy couldn’t help but grin.  
Maybe Michael wasn’t that much of a douche. Maybe Jeremy’s tiny crush wasn’t as unrequited as he’d thought.

And maybe falling for Michael Mell wasn’t that bad of a choice after all.


End file.
